


Scrimmages and Second Chances

by Karasuno Volleygays (ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Mending Fences, leave me here to die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 18:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6868750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor/pseuds/Karasuno%20Volleygays
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Seijou offers a practice match to nationals-bound Karasuno to kickstart their rebuilt roster, Karasuno accepts the challenge. However, a twist at the end resurrects something lost and builds a new bridge or two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scrimmages and Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> This was a prompt on tumblr from beaunaratau: So what if Karasuno has a practice match with Seijoh, but during the second game/set/whatever, they decide to trade setters. So Oikawa goes to work with Karasuno and Kageyama goes to Seijoh. Kageyama's extremely apprehensive because of Kindaichi and Kunimi, but what ends up happening is they get so in sync after a while that everyone views the three of them as terrifying. This leads to the three of them beginning to clear the air, trade numbers, and start becoming friends again.

The call is not one that Takeda expects, but he eagerly accepts when it comes, all but running into the gym from his desk after he scribbles down the details. Bursting through the doors, he holds up a trail of sticky notes and cries, “We’ve got a practice match before Nationals!”

There is a crash and an accompanying squawk, but the rest of the team is silent as they stare at Takeda, gawking.

“That’s great, Sensei,” Daichi says with a nod and a reassuring smile. “How did you find someone on such short notice?”

Takeda smiles and waves of the compliment. “Oh, they called us. They want to start rebuilding their team right away, and they figured the one team in the prefecture who is still playing would be game for a practice match right about now.”

The entire team leans in closer, waiting for Takeda to fill them in. When he doesn’t, Ukai clears his throat as he crosses his arms. “Well, who is it?”

“Seijou!”

All around the gym, eager faces turn into determined one as the prospect of facing a born-again old foe before anyone else gets the chance.

Ukai smiles wickedly. “We’ll get to see their new team before anyone. This is very fortunate.” He strides over and slaps Takeda sharply on the shoulder. “Good work, Sensei.”

Wincing, Takeda gives a feeble protest of, “But I didn’t . . .” before sighing and heading back to his office to make arrangements for a referee. One thing is for sure, though:

This is going to be a very interesting match.

 

 

Snow is piled all over the Karasuno grounds as the Aobajousai Volleyball Club bus pulls into its parking lot. Kindaichi is one of the last ones out, not particularly eager to fight his teammates in rushing out of the hot, cramped bus, the artificial heat cloying at best.

Pulling his club jacket closer around him, he waits for Kunimi to drag is bag out of the cargo hold and catch up before they both jog after the rest of the team, which is led by a squabbling Yahaba and Kyoutani.

“So this is where Kageyama goes to school?” Kunimi comments as he looks around. “It looks so . . .”

“Public,” Kindaichi agrees.

Of course, he isn’t one to complain, considering his tuition to Seijou had been waived because of his place on the volleyball club. The only things he has to buy are supplies and books, which is half the cost of any other high school in Sendai. But he figures Kageyama didn’t get a recommendation or offer for any school, so he’ll take his good fortune where he can get it.

The visitor locker room is tiny, barely larger than a closet, and there is definitely no room for the club members who don’t have jerseys, so they wait out in the hall while the roster players change before dropping off their things.

The gym is even smaller than Seijou’s tiniest gym, which the baseball club uses for indoor batting practice and winter training. With no seating for spectators, all Kindaichi can see by the way of chairs is some metal folding ones for the coaches courtside, and a short row of them against the wall.

“Where are we supposed to sit?” grumbles one of the non-roster second years, looking around the gym with his nose wrinkled in distaste. “Why didn’t we just invite them to our gym?”

There is a muffled squawk, and when Kindaichi turns to investigate, he sees Kyoutani’s fist planted in that second year’s side while gluing the much taller boy with a scowl. “They came to our school last time. Show some respect.”

Kyoutani is different after their loss to Karasuno, Kindaichi thinks. He’s more committed, more willing to work alongside his teammates for a common goal. And they do have a common goal as a new squad, and that’s to topple the team they’re about to face in the Interhighs next school year.

Beside him, Kunimi chuckles. “You’re doing it again. You have ‘flaming aura’ and ‘let’s kick all their asses’ written all over your face.”

“We’re going to win.” Kindaichi doesn’t leave it up for debate, and Kunimi wouldn’t anyway. Not after Kunimi lost most of his playing time to Kyoutani in that final match, affected more than he cares to admit by watching his teammates fail and not being able to do anything about it.

Across the court, the Karasuno squad stretches while wearing their ancient uniforms, a relic, he hears from a few of the older players, from a bygone era of dominance. Reflexively, Kindaichi grabs his own jersey, which is his to keep at the end of the season, after which he will be assigned a new number and a new jersey, which he will also get to keep.

Starting their own stretching session, Kindaichi throws glances over at the opposite side of the net, watching Kageyama as he bickers with the short ginger kid. Hinata, if he remembers right. He watches in morbid fascination as Kageyama nearly bends the other kid in half and never receives a complaint, and he truly understands the implication of that natural-born agility after it had defeated them.

Yahaba takes the coin toss against Karasuno’s unassuming-looking captain and wins, opting to serve first.

With a grunt, Kyoutani tosses Kindaichi the ball and grumbles, “You’re up, kid.”

Still not sure how he feels about the arrangement of having to take the first serve, Kindaichi takes the ball and looks at Karasuno’s defensive formation, determining which location will bring the best chance of a service ace or a weak return. Spotting his best opportunity, Kindaichi waits for the whistle and hits the ball with the slight jump he’s been working on for the past week or so.

It doesn’t have nearly the same amount of power as a jump serve, but it has more than his old one and just as much accuracy. The ball speeds right behind the left side hitter, just out of the easy reach of Karasuno’s libero. As planned, the ball goes up but well away from the setter’s position, removing a quick attack and their libero’s ability to set from the equation.

Or not.

Flinging himself backwards, Kageyama slides across the floor on his back while jetting a dart of a set right to Hinata, who hits the ball right off of the block while the rest of his team resets for a fresh attack. Bracing himself, Kindaichi readies for the receive that comes straight at him. He curses under his breath when it goes to the wrong side of the net, forcing Yahaba to bump set to Kyoutani, their new ace. The tall megane kid on Karasuno’s side slaps it down with a killer block worthy of Datekou’s Iron Wall.

As Karasuno rotates, Yahaba comes over and claps Kindaichi on the shoulder. “Nothing you could do about that. It was a good serve. That was a ridiculous return.”

“Y-yeah,” Kindaichi agrees as they ready themselves for Kageyama’s hellacious serve. While it is not as powerful as Oikawa’s, his accuracy is constantly improving and he rarely ever hits the net or hits a side-out. And as a former middle blocker now playing on the wing, Kindaichi knows that he is a prime target. Bracing himself, he mumbles to himself, “Bring it on.”

In the front row, Kunimi, now a middle blocker, chortles as Kageyama does exactly what Kindaichi expects him to do. The ball, far heavier than Kindaichi remembers it being, slaps right above his elbow and careens far out of bounds, beyond the reach of Watari, who races after it.

“Damn it!” Rubbing where his arm is stinging from the impact, Kindaichi glares through the net and dares Kageyama to do that again. However, to his surprise, there is a slight nod before the next serve comes to the exact same spot.

This time, Kindaichi sends it sailing in the air, more or less in the region of the front row, where Yahaba is able to set up Kunimi for a quick that lands before Karasuno’s defenders can even react.

Across the court, Kindaichi is surprised to find Kageyama giving him a small twitch of the lips he supposes is the close the latter has ever come to a real smile.

_What the hell?_

Brushing off the strangeness of it, Kindaichi rotates and waits for play to resume. Karasuno proceeds to take the first set by a seven point margin, with several service mistakes and receive errors on Seijou’s part contributing to the sizeable gap. On the opposite side, however, Karasuno is just starting to roll. Kageyama and Hinata are a well-oiled machine, and their ace hasn’t missed a spike yet.

The second and third sets go in much the same fashion, and it’s easy to see why Irihata-sensei arranged for this match. Kindaichi can clearly see how much work there is to be done on their side from the top to the bottom of the line-up.

The day rolls on, with six sets slated to be played, and Seijou changes out all their players except for Yahaba and Kindaichi, who need court time and a chance to adjust to a new position, respectively. Many of Kindaichi’s fellow first years who didn’t even dress in the previous season are standing on the court with him now, deferring to him and scurrying to action when he calls out to them. In a way, they remind him of himself as a newly-minted starter on a powerhouse team. As if he were an interloper.

With Karasuno doing much the same with their lineup, the results of the next couple of sets are about the same, with both sides’ weaker players becoming increasingly stronger as the sets progress.

However, in the final set of the evening, Irihata holds up a hand to the referee before pulling aside Karasuno’s coach for a quick, animated conversation. Both men part ways with matching smiles of satisfaction, and it gives Kindaichi a chill. In the huddle, Irihata clears his throat and says, “As arranged, the final set will be a little different. In the spirit of fun and good sportsmanship, both teams will be sending their setters to the other side.”

“What the hell for?” Kyoutani sneers as he looks first at Yahaba and then at Kageyama. “Our setter is fine, and they can keep that guy.”

“Arrangements have been made, Kyoutani-kun, so your cooperation will go hand in hand with whether you would like to continue playing today.”

Snapping his mouth shut, Kyoutani shoots a final glare and Kageyama before leaning in to listen to their coach. But Kindaichi can only stare off into space as Karasuno likely receive a similar directive. Kageyama’s head whips over to look at the Seijou side, and their eyes meet. Unable to look away, Kindaichi mouths, “What’s going on?” Kageyama merely shakes his head in response.

Team meetings over, both Yahaba and Kageyama head over behind the referee ladder and shake hands, exchanging a few words and their numbered bibs before jogging over and joining their ‘new’ teams.

On Karasuno’s side, Yahaba is greeted cheerfully all around, with a few good-natured ribs from their buzz-cut guy and their libero, and a handshake from the captain that makes Yahaba wince. But as Kageyama approaches the Seijou players, the entire side warps into dead silence. All of them are aware, in detail, of the fallout between Kageyama and a handful of their first years.

Kageyama looks around nervously, waiting for someone to tell him what to do for once, and something in Kindaichi that must be part sadist makes him step forward and say, “Since it’s their turn to serve, you’re starting front and center.”

With a bob of the head, Kageyama takes his position and waits for the rest of the team to do the same. Irihata sends out the starting squad again, and out of all of them, Watari is the only other one to speak to Kageyama. The rest watch him like he will explode at any moment.

A few months ago, Kindaichi would not have blamed them, but the Kageyama he saw in the Spring Highs is one Kindaichi has never seen before. He fit the team together like so many puzzle pieces and did it without shouting or berating anyone. Instead, he did it with respect.

Hoping that Kageyama doesn’t slip into any old, bad habits, Kindaichi readies himself. His concentration nearly snaps when Hinata slaps his hands on this thighs and bellows, “Sa koi!”

With that call, something sparks to life on Kageyama, a sly smirk spreading across his face. “Bring it on, Hinata.”

On Kageyama’s left, Kunimi snickers, and the spell is broken.

The serve is a strong one, coming from Karasuno’s beard guy, but after five straight sets of being targeted, Kindaichi is able to punch this one up in the air with almost perfect accuracy to the setter’s spot. Kageyama finds Kyoutani mid-air and delivers a scud missile of a set right into Kyoutani’s waiting palm. As the ball lands uncontested for the first point of the set, Karasuno is silent while a handful of the Seijou contingent recover quickly from their distaste of Kageyama to give him a smattering of goodwill punches.

Picking up the ball, Kindaichi walks back past the service line. But as he readies his stance, Kageyama turns and calls, “Nice serve, Kindaichi!”

Kunimi turns to gape at Kindaichi over his shoulder, who is just as bewildered by the encouraging comment as any of them, but he shakes it off in favor of sending a ball with as little spin as he can manage to the front row between Yahaba and Megane. Both of them stare at the ball, waiting for the other to call it, but a bellow from the back row interrupts as their libero takes it instead.

Yahaba sets up Buzz-cut, who slams the ball right between Watari and Kindaichi. “Got it!” Watari calls before sending the ball towards the front with a diving save.

As the ball sails through the air, Kageyama asks, “Can you do a back attack?”

“What?” But even as he says it, he’s running up to take the shot, and as his arm swings, the ball passes right through his sweet spot. Hammering it down as hard as he can, Kindaichi watches in satisfaction as it hits Hinata square in the chest and dribbles to the floor.

Through the net, Kageyama chirps at Hinata to receive with his arms, but Kindaichi feels the sting in his palm from a perfect hit. Flexing his fingers, he stares at his hand, waiting for any indication that it’s all some sort of fantasy. But when he looks up, all he can see is Kageyama, fists on his hips as he radiates cool confidence and says, “Nice kill.”

Tentatively, he holds up both hands, and Kindaichi laughs. He isn’t sure if it’s funny or if his mind is finally blown by this new Kageyama, but he shakes his head and gives Kageyama the best double high-five he can manage while doubled over in amusement.

Everyone in the gym is staring at him, he knows, but Kindaichi doesn’t care. What matters is that a weight on his shoulders, one he bears the heaviest while playing Karasuno, feels like it is made of feathers instead of lead. Feels like nothing at all.

The rest of the set rolls by, with Seijou’s side taking its first set and Kindaichi the owner of the final kill.

Kageyama and Yahaba return to their respective teams, and Seijou circles their coach for a few final words.

“Can any of you tell me the purpose of that last set?” Irihata asks.

The team is quiet, but the answer is obvious to Kindaichi. When no one else speaks up, he says, “We thought we knew what kind of player he was, and that let him one-up us. Now we know. He’s not that guy anymore.”

Irihata smiles and gives Kindaichi a nod. “Correct, Kindaichi-kun. With Ushijima-kun now retired from Shiratorizawa, Karasuno appears to be the heir apparent to the top of the prefecture. We knew all knew this the moment we lost to them, and they confirmed it by earning a place at Nationals.

“Now you all have better tools to confront this up and coming giant, so don’t waste this opportunity.”

“Yes, sir!” they all say in unison as they put their fists in the middle of the huddle.

Watari shouts, “Seijou!”

“Fight!” every one of them answer before breaking off to head to the locker room.

Outside, as he ducks out to make room for his teammates, Kindaichi leans against the railing outside the gym in wait. But when he hears his name spoken softly, he jumps in surprise.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Kageyama says as he leans against the fence next to Kindaichi, staring across the courtyard.

Kindaichi looks out at the scenery, as well, but in a new light. What seemed run down and pedestrian upon arrival is now carved and charactered, very much like the team inside this very gym. “I was wrong about you, you know.”

Kageyama shakes his head. “No, you weren’t. You were always right. I was a bad setter and deserved to be left behind. I try my best to never be like that again, and I hope you might be able to see that one day.”

Jaw hanging open, Kindaichi gapes at Kageyama, who says all of this with a serene, sincere aura that bears little resemblance to the manic tyrant from a year ago. “I don’t even know you anymore,” Kindaichi says with a huff. “Be careful, or I might actually start to like you.”

Kageyama’s eyes widen as he takes in Kindaichi’s words, and they both stand together quietly until the Seijou players start to filter out of the gym.

Kunimi finds them first, nodding at Kageyama as he leans against the fence on Kageyama’s other side. “My mom called. She’s going to pick us up since she’s in the neighborhood and take us out to dinner.”

“Cool,” Kindaichi answers, relieved he doesn’t have to cook when he gets home. “My mom’s working until ten, so I’d have been alone anyway.”

Turning to Kageyama, Kunimi surprises both him and Kindaichi by saying, “You can come, too, if you want. My mom always liked you, and your house is only ten minutes away from mine.”

Kageyama blinks, head tilting to the side. “You . . . _want_ me to come?”

Rolling his eyes, Kunimi smacks Kageyama in the shoulder and snickers. “Wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t, dummy. You coming or not?”

Looking back at the gym and to his old teammates, Kageyama’s lips curve into a lopsided smile that makes something warm bloom in Kindaichi’s chest. He knows it’s a rare gift, one that has been given to them, and he will never be able to look at Kageyama again without remembering it.

This is the boy he’s always wanted to see. Past the skill and sharp words, this smiling dork is the Kageyama that made his home in this very average high school and helped them become great. But even as regret flares up and licks at his happiness before he tamps it back down. They’ve all been thought enough because of what happened at Kitaichi, and despite his last words to Kageyama just a week before, Kindaichi thinks he really has washed his hands of it.

“Yeah,” he says with a smile, “come hang out with us.”

Kageyama’s eyes widen as he nods and runs back into the gym, returning a few minutes later changed into street clothes and still soggy from the shower. “Am I too late?”

Kunimi chortles and gestures towards the exit. “She’s not off until six, but her office is only a couple of blocks over. The break room at her work has pretty good coffee.”

At the mention of a warm drink, Kindaichi shivers just looking at Kageyama’s wet hair. Digging in his own bag, he fishes out his winter hat and jams it on Kageyama’s head. “Idiot. You’re gonna make yourself sick and miss nationals.”

“Never,” Kageyama says with complete seriousness, and all of them laugh as they stroll off the Karasuno grounds shoulder to shoulder, exchanging stories and numbers as the past couple of years slide away like a distant memory.

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't figure out a way to work Oikawa as the setter into canon without it cramping the actual manga storyline, so I went with this instead. In the spirit of how well we know each other, I figured that would be all right with you.


End file.
